two beaches
by mikka
Back from Shimoda! This was our first long weekend in a long time - since our last visit to Shimoda - and it felt so nice to have a vacation. Since early May, Shimoda has become punishingly hot, though this time around we were able to enjoy more of it thanks to our foldable bikes. Despite buying the bikes with the intention of taking them everywhere three months ago, this weekend was our bikes' maiden voyage out of Numazu by train. We bought bike bags (finally), and learned how to fold them up as small as they would go (finally) and learned, also, that Iain's bike rusted away some metal part of his handlebars, which makes reassembly rather time consuming ("please repair this," said the man selling us our bike bags). I also learned that I am not strong enough to fold or unfold my own bike, and am only barely strong enough to carry all 60 pounds of a still-unwieldy folded bike up and down the train platform steps (while incurring glares from half the other passengers - not cool, other passengers!) Still, it was really nice to have our bikes once we got to Shimoda, especially since one of my students had recently recommended two of his favorite beaches in town.
Our first stop was Shirahama, a 20 minute hilly ride out of town. Flat Numazu has us spoiled; I think it was somewhere along this ride that I learned that my bike desperately needs oil, or a massage, or ... something, because any time I hit the brakes, I'm pretty sure the resulting screeching can be heard all the way back in Tokyo. Sorry, Shimoda.
Shirahama is incredibly beautiful, as you can see from the white sand and turquoise waters. Unfortunately, it is also immensely popular and I'm not sure it's clear from these photos just how packed the shore was - it was probably the most crowded beach both of us had ever seen. The slim area roped off for swimming was so packed with beach goers that all you could do was wade. And while it was nice to be able to rent a parasol to stave off the sun, I could have done without the loudspeakers blaring advertisements and safety announcements at top volume every 10 minutes. So, while Shirahama was beautiful, we probably won't go back during peak season anytime soon.
It was also cool to get a glimpse of more tans and tattoos than I have ever seen elsewhere in Japan. (Above, a crowd of surfers patiently waiting for the next wave in calm waters).
Fortunately, the second beach, Tadadohama, was much different, though this may have been because we went at sunset instead of in the middle of the day. Still, it was much smaller than Shirahama, and nestled between cliffs, so it felt much more private - not to mention you could actually see the water and the sand.
Above: Iain wading out for a swim.
Above: surfers in the distance.
After dark, some families started lighting fireworks and sparklers. Best beach ever!
Yay, Shimoda. It was so nice to get out of town for a bit, even if now I'm sore all over from both riding and carrying my bike.
